Static library budget avoids Albany ballot

Tax levy set at $6.4M as trustees are mindful of hefty rise in 2011

Updated 11:07 pm, Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The main branch of the Albany Public Library on Wasington Avenue in Albany, NY Friday May 27, 2011.( Michael P. Farrell/Times Union archive)

The main branch of the Albany Public Library on Wasington Avenue in...

Exterior of the Albany Public Library in Albany, NY. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union archive)

Exterior of the Albany Public Library in Albany, NY. (Lori Van...

A child walks into the Albany Public Library Arbor Hill/West Hill Branch on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 in Albany N.Y. Voters passed the July 2011 library budget after rejecting the initial proposal. Library trustees have adopted a $9.4 million 2013-14 budget that comes with no increase in the tax levy and therefore won?t require voter approval next month. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union archive)

Library trustees have adopted a $9.4 million 2013-14 budget that comes with no increase in the tax levy and therefore won't require voter approval next month.

"Being very mindful that we had to go to a very large increase two years ago, we were very sensitive to that," said Holly McKenna, president of the library's board of trustees. "We thought this would be a good time to give people a break."

McKenna was referring to the board's initial proposed 2011-12 spending plan, which would have hiked taxes 25 percent and which voters rejected. A second plan carrying a roughly 15 percent increase passed.

Voters approved a more modest 2.7 percent increase last year.

State education law allows the library to bypass voter approval if the tax levy — or the total amount of money raised from taxpayers to run the library — does not change.

Next year's proposed $6.4 million tax levy would be the same as this year, with a $500 drop in a separate $1.8 million tax levy that voters approved in 2007 for an expansion of the library's branches.

A flat tax levy, however, does not guarantee that the amount homeowners pay in taxes will not change.

A number of factors beyond the library's control also impact city tax rates, including the changing relative values of residential and commercial properties.

The last time voters weren't asked to weigh in on the library's budget was in 2007 when library trustees had already sought their blessing earlier that year for $29 million in borrowing to build or renovate five neighborhood branches, said library spokeswoman Stephanie Simon.

Despite flat spending, there are no planned cuts to library hours, programming or staff, Director Carol Nersinger said, adding that savings were expected in both health insurance and maintenance costs.